St. Paul mayor declines comment on lawsuit; Gas prices are down slightly but still up year-over-year

Authorities have detained and charged a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman last week.And teams of state and federal officials will begin assessing the damage in New Richland later this week after the southern Minnesota community was hit by heavy flooding more than a week ago.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry is suing Mayor Kaohly Her for sexual harassment. Regina Medina reports he plans to stay in his job despite the lawsuit.And the man convicted in federal court of murdering former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark is now preparing for a state trial.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A Minnesota nonprofit accused of defrauding food assistance programs for children is set to dissolve and pay the state more than $18 million. That's part of a settlement announced Thursday between Attorney General Keith Ellison and Partners in Quality Care.Minnesota is considering changes to its annual K-12 academic testing procedures. Students and teachers spend time each spring on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, which measure how schools are helping students progress in reading, math and science.New Richland city officials say 10 to 12 homes in the small southern Minnesota community are expected to be total losses from last weekend's flooding.

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her declined comment today when asked about the lawsuit filed against her by Police Chief Axel Henry.And gas and diesel prices in Minnesota have been flat or slightly falling over the past couple days.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry is suing Mayor Kaohly Her for sexual harassment. The lawsuit filed Wednesday comes on the heels of an outside investigation of the DFL mayor. The chief alleges that Her repeatedly told him that her marriage was in trouble, made multiple attempts to get close to him, and twice put her hand on his upper thigh during a budget meeting. Henry also says Her retaliated against him for filing an HR complaint — including by raising the pay of all other police command staff, but not his.The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension set new guidelines Wednesday to help law enforcement agencies take a more victim-centered and consistent approach to investigating sexual assault cases. Breanna Heisterkamp, a forensic nurse manager at Hennepin Healthcare, says the guidelines will help investigators better understand victims.Some rideshare drivers in Minneapolis are asking the city council to limit how autonomous vehicles can operate in the city. The company Waymo is currently testing its driverless taxis in the city. The council is considering a requirement for Waymo and similar companies to pay a licensed driver to monitor the car.And downtown St. Paul has a grocery store again with the Aldi now open at the intersection of Robert and 10th streets. The grand opening ribbon-cutting is Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

Motor oil prices are going up, which means Minnesotans are paying more for an oil change. This is the evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Clean up continues in New Richland after a weekend storm flooded the small southern Minnesota town. And the Minneapolis Mobile Medical Unit has treated more than 4,000 community members in its first year of operation.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. music by Gary Meister.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stopped publicly sharing location information for thousands of detainees. Three current and former ICE officials told The Associated Press that on Sept. 15 the agency removed from its website the location information for detainees subject to final deportation orders. In a statement, ICE did not confirm or deny the change.Bipartisan negotiations continue on a federal proposal to establish guardrails for artificial intelligence. Official estimates suggest nationwide corn yields will decline this year. Some experts say actual yields could be even lower because of drought conditions.